Art & Culture
Read about real people living on the river, their lives, their homes, their avocations.  Learn about what they have contributed to the culture of the river through their art, their photography, their poetry.

Currents of Culture

June 1, 2023

Just at the southern bend of the Farmington River, high on a hill above Miss Porter’s School and the grave of William Gillette, poets are gathering....

Estuary for Young Readers #10

June 1, 2023

While Mum cleared the supper dishes from the table, Cap starts talking about me taking over responsibility of the ferry right away, saying nice things like I’m so much better at ferrying than he ever was when he was my age, and how I know so much more now because I’ve made a study of the river, the tides, the currents, and such, and how my whole approach to ferrying is more modern than his....

Lawn Care We Can Live With

March 4, 2023

Ah, spring. For the gardeners among us it is the long-awaited return to being outside, smelling the soil, welcoming the sun. And regardless of how you spent your winter month —planning or just anticipating—the gardening season is now upon us. And suddenly there’s oh so much to do....

Book Announcement- If Only Houses Could Talk

March 1, 2023

A bright side of COVID gave Portland, Connecticut, architect Alain Munkittrick time to produce his book depicting 160 restored and historic houses in the Connecticut River Valley, all of which have stories to tell....

The Spirit of The Kate

March 1, 2023

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, affectionately and officially known as “The Kate,” is first and foremost a performance space....

Gardening for Good- Lawn Care We Can Live With

March 1, 2023

Ah, spring. For the gardeners among us it is the long-awaited return to being outside, smelling the soil, welcoming the sun. And regardless of how you spent your winter month —planning or just anticipating—the gardening season is now upon us. And suddenly there’s oh so much to do....

What’s For Dinner?

March 1, 2023

For centuries it had been thought that one should only eat shellfish in a month with an R in it—the “R factor”—and for good reason....

Estuary for Young Readers #9

March 1, 2023

Here in Saybrook, we’re still adjusting to the idea that our new President, Abraham Lincoln, is calling up an army so he can preserve the Union and abolish slavery....

Estuary for Young Readers

December 1, 2022

I put my hand out in front of me like I’m offering to shake and say: “How do you do, sir. I’m called JJ, just like my father, and his father, and his father before him. We’re all ferrymen here in Old Saybrook, and we’re all called JJ.”...

Made You Look

December 1, 2022

These sorts of outdoor spaces often serve as both installations and galleries for the sculptors....

Lying in Wait

December 1, 2022

Those familiar cinnamon plumes, waving in unison from their towering vantage point above our marshes and sand dunes, were not always so abundant, or robust....

What’s for Dinner- Savory Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast with Cider Sauce

December 1, 2022

Yum yum summertime…and what better way to celebrate than to have a barbeque! Our choices are diverse, but let’s focus on what’s fresh and readily available at this time of the year. What comes to mind? … Corn and tomatoes, which can be prepared with a minimum of fuss…and what a delight to the eyes as well....

Estuary for Young Readers

August 31, 2022

I put my hand out in front of me like I’m offering to shake and say: “How do you do, sir. I’m called JJ, just like my father, and his father, and his father before him. We’re all ferrymen here in Old Saybrook, and we’re all called JJ.”...

What’s for Dinner- Bounties of the Fall Harvest

August 31, 2022

Yum yum summertime…and what better way to celebrate than to have a barbeque! Our choices are diverse, but let’s focus on what’s fresh and readily available at this time of the year. What comes to mind? … Corn and tomatoes, which can be prepared with a minimum of fuss…and what a delight to the eyes as well....

The Art & Scienceof the Connecticut River

May 31, 2022

Beyond a small café and an administrative building, four banners hang from the welcome hall portico: the Cat in the Hat, an Indian Motorcycle, a T-Rex, and a 19th century painting of a young girl by William-Adolphe Bouguereau....

What’s for Dinner

May 31, 2022

Yum yum summertime…and what better way to celebrate than to have a barbeque! Our choices are diverse, but let’s focus on what’s fresh and readily available at this time of the year. What comes to mind? … Corn and tomatoes, which can be prepared with a minimum of fuss…and what a delight to the eyes as well....

Estuary for Young Readers

May 31, 2022

I put my hand out in front of me like I’m offering to shake and say: “How do you do, sir. I’m called JJ, just like my father, and his father, and his father before him. We’re all ferrymen here in Old Saybrook, and we’re all called JJ.”...

Estuary for Young Readers

February 28, 2022

I put my hand out in front of me like I’m offering to shake and say: “How do you do, sir. I’m called JJ, just like my father, and his father, and his father before him. We’re all ferrymen here in Old Saybrook, and we’re all called JJ.”...

What’s for Dinner

February 28, 2022

Not just for pancakes, maple syrup has been a staple in the North American diet for centuries....